First summit between Spain and Palestine after its recognition as a state, and first meeting between Pedro Sánchez and Mahmud Abbas since then. A “very important” appointment, the government said, not only for the reactivation of the Palestinian cause but also for the increase in regional tensions in Lebanon.
“We continue to demand the necessity, the urgency, to put an end to the war in Gaza “Immediately,” Sánchez began in a no-questions-asked appearance at Moncloa. “The international community and Europe cannot remain impassive in the face of the suffering of thousands of innocent people, mainly women and children.”
Sánchez once again stressed the “violation of international law” that Israel is committing in the Gaza Strip. “We can and must act against any violation of international law, in particular humanitarianbecause of the enormous risk that the failure of this delicate mechanism would imply for future generations,” the president said.
Sánchez also referred to the explosions of Hezbollah pagers and walkie-talkies in Beirut. “Today, the risk of escalation has increased further in Lebanon. We must make a new, firm call for containment and peaceful coexistence between countries. In short, peace,” he explained.
The president insisted that “the war in the Gaza Strip must end immediately” and recalled that the parties must “agree on a ceasefire in accordance with resolution 2735 of the United Nations Security Council“The other great danger we face,” he said, “is the threat to the rules-based international order,” he stressed.
“The international community and Europe cannot remain impassive in the face of the suffering of thousands of women and children, we cannot live with death and destruction and we must not normalise violence,” said Sánchez.
The President also recalled the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, delivered last July, which established as Israeli occupation is “illegal” “Spain is the European country that has most increased its humanitarian support to the entire Palestinian population in Gaza,” he added.
The meeting between Sánchez and Abás is preceded by another relevant meeting last Friday with the Arab-Islamic Contact Group on Gaza and representatives of European countries (Norway, Slovenia and Ireland) that have recently recognised the State of Palestine. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, was also present.
